Hellenic College, Mount Athos Foundation of America Establish Partnership for Student Internships

Hellenic College and the Mount Athos Foundation of America (MAFA) announce a new partnership providing students with opportunities to gain practical experience in nonprofit leadership, research, communications, and educational programming through internships with MAFA.

The partnership provides a meaningful connection between the classroom and the workplace for students in Hellenic College’s online Nonprofit Leadership and Management (NPLM) Program. As part of the NPLM curriculum, senior NPLM majors complete NPLM 4000, a required two-semester internship designed to give students sustained, hands-on experience in the field of nonprofit management.

Through placements with the Mount Athos Foundation of America, students will have the opportunity to apply their academic preparation to the work of an organization dedicated to promoting greater understanding of the history, culture, spirituality, art, and intellectual heritage of Mount Athos. Depending on their assignments, interns may contribute to research and educational initiatives, communications, event planning, development, administrative projects, outreach, and other areas of the Foundation’s work.

The partnership also provides students with an opportunity to explore the ways in which nonprofit organizations advance educational and cultural missions. By working directly with MAFA, students can develop professional competencies while gaining experience in the administration and advancement of an organization whose work connects scholarship, education, philanthropy, and the Orthodox Christian tradition.

“We are pleased to establish this partnership with the Mount Athos Foundation of America,” said Dr. Nicholas Ganson, Dean of Hellenic College. “Partnerships like this advance Hellenic College’s commitment to experiential learning while connecting our students with organizations that embody our mission of spiritual and intellectual formation, personal growth, professional preparation, and service to the Orthodox Christian community. MAFA offers our students a valuable opportunity to see how these commitments can be brought together through meaningful work in support of education, scholarship, and the preservation and promotion of the heritage of Mount Athos.”

“We are honored to partner with Hellenic College in a collaboration that reflects our shared commitment to education, service, and leadership development,” said Chris Mellen, President of MAFA. “This partnership offers students valuable hands-on experience in program support, outreach, and nonprofit administration while providing meaningful exposure to the nonprofit sector. We are proud to help prepare the next generation of nonprofit leaders and clergy and look forward to building a lasting partnership for years to come.”

The internship experience is structured as an academic course as well as a professional placement, with a MAFA site supervisor responsible for the student’s day-to-day activities at the organization, including workplace guidance, assignments, professional expectations, and feedback concerning the student’s performance, and a faculty liaison from Hellenic College overseeing the academic dimension of the internship, including the course learning objectives, academic assignments, assessment, and awarding of academic credit.

The partnership builds upon the shared educational and cultural interests of Hellenic College and the Mount Athos Foundation of America and creates opportunities for students to engage directly with an organization whose work preserves and advances understanding of one of the most important centers of Orthodox Christian heritage.

For more information about the fully online Nonprofit Leadership and Management Program at Hellenic College, please contact the Hellenic College Dean’s Office or visit www.hchc.edu. Prospective students can learn more by contacting the HCHC Office of Admissions at 617.850.1345.